Longest trip with SS TSL Bias Tires

[JPalmer81]

What is the longest trip you have taken with your SS TSL Bias tires? How did they do on the trip? Was it enjoyable or a white knuckle ride you wish you never did?

[maxwoof]

My 62 had Gateway mudders, which I believe are essentially the same. Size 9.00-16, about 34 inches tall. Probably from the eighties. I would make 100 mile highway trips a few times a year. Very loud. When you hit a bump in the road at highway speeds, it was kind of scary. I recently switched to 7.50-16 Cooper radials. I haven't had the truck on the highway yet, but it is totally different around town.
Posted via Mobile Device

[obijuan]

180 miles to the coast and back. On weld on headlocks. Unbearable.
Posted via Mobile Device

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by obijuan

180 miles to the coast and back. On weld on headlocks. Unbearable.
Posted via Mobile Device

Do the beadlocks make a difference with how it rides?

[obijuan]

Yes because I never could get the bead perfectly centered. These were 39.5 boggers, and they were 8 lug bobcat wheels.... the boggers were very very heavy tires.
I have driven all weekend at the coast on 42" iroks and regular wheels, it was very comfortable but never over 60 and only 30 miles a day Max.
I have h1s now with 39" tsl and they're all over the place at 60.

I had 6 36" tsl sx on my dually, never balanced them and they rode.excellent actually. Forgot bout those.

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by obijuan

Yes because I never could get the bead perfectly centered. These were 39.5 boggers, and they were 8 lug bobcat wheels.... the boggers were very very heavy tires.
I have driven all weekend at the coast on 42" iroks and regular wheels, it was very comfortable but never over 60 and only 30 miles a day Max.
I have h1s now with 39" tsl and they're all over the place at 60.

I had 6 36" tsl sx on my dually, never balanced them and they rode.excellent actually. Forgot bout those.

I had the boggers and I thought they did okay on the freeway considering. I never went over 60 with them and only went about 120 miles round trip. The TSL/SX are a little more aggressive than the regular TSL Bias tires so maybe they won't be too bad. And I am only going with 33" tall.

I would get the TSL Radials, but they make them way too narrow and I wouldn't get the look I want, but I have read they have better highway manners.

[argonaut]

I had 33x10.5 TSL Swampers on my 72 Blazer for a while. I used to make 160 mile round trips to see my parents on weekends once in a while. They were loud and the steering was a little vague, but I didn't think it was unbearable. Maybe I'm just used to sloppy old pickups...

[Beersnob]

This truck was my daily driver for a while and it was running 38x12.50x16.5 bias TSL/SX tires. You'll be fine.

[JPalmer81]

Thanks guys, and that is a mean looking truck beersnob. I am used to driving in old beaters so I am sure it will be fine

[Beersnob]

Yeah, it was real mean until I got stupid and let a buddy of mine drive it.

[JPalmer81]

Hate when that happens....

[odog]

I had 33 12.50 thornbirds on my bronco, and made 420 mile trips about 6 times a year, they were great handleing, but loud. When those wore out I went with the TSL , 34x9.50, doing the same trip, they handled the same, and just as load, but a little rougher riding. Freeway speeds of 75 to 80, wandered a little, but I think that was due to wore out steering box.

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by odog

I had 33 12.50 thornbirds on my bronco, and made 420 mile trips about 6 times a year, they were great handleing, but loud. When those wore out I went with the TSL , 34x9.50, doing the same trip, they handled the same, and just as load, but a little rougher riding. Freeway speeds of 75 to 80, wandered a little, but I think that was due to wore out steering box.

Well beings that I only drive between 60-65 I think they will do just fine for me, not really planning on using them for super long road trips but maybe a couple times a year. Might be making a 4000 mile trip with them driving back down to the lower 48 in the middle of winter, personally I think they would be great for a trip like that when 90% and possibly the whole trip will be on snow covered roads.

[obijuan]

why so small on a 4" lift crew cab? just jump to 35s?

[JPalmer81]

I know they will fit but gonna stick with the 33's, I like when the tires and wheels don't hardly fill the wheel well at all and are wide, this truck isn't going to see a whole bunch of off road time. Mainly want the swampers for the awesome look..but I do live in Alaska so you never know what I might get her into

[Redcap]

Longest trip on bias 39.5" Swampers was around 500 miles, down to Eureka, CA. Rode fine on my '74 Power Wagon 1-ton with a 413 and a 4-speed, 4.56 gears. You know, back when gas was was about half the price it is now...

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by Redcap

Longest trip on bias 39.5" Swampers was around 500 miles, down to Eureka, CA. Rode fine on my '74 Power Wagon 1-ton with a 413 and a 4-speed, 4.56 gears. You know, back when gas was was about half the price it is now...

Ahhhh..the good ole days

[special-K]

I used to drive all over the place on my 13/37s Super Swampers. To the mountains or to the beach,anywhere fro 150-200 miles. I never gave it a thought because back then,there were no radials over 12/33 BFGs. Actual,my 4wd experience goes back to before those. I started out with trucks running 14.50/37 Armstrong True Tracs and I drove as far as from Maryland to Arizona and back. Once something gets improved it's harder to go back. And you end up with people who never knew the old way and can't fathom how it could be done. The truck I drove to Arizona was a '69 Dodge W200 with manual drum brakes & steering and I enjoyed every mile of that trip. The Blazer had the Super Swampers,but all these trucks had bias plies:

[jjzepplin]

I had the bias ss's and it was scary. Seems the steel wheels flexed a bit with the bigger tires. Went to radial ss's and aluminum rims and OMG what a difference. You will not be sorry. Drove like a Camaro at over 80mph 3200 miles from CALI to FLORIDA. 36" btw. Loud but I was very confident I could do it and about 60,000 more miles on those tires too. Finally sold them after the fateful accident. Bye Bye 72 1ton Blazer :-(

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by special-K

I used to drive all over the place on my 13/37s Super Swampers. To the mountains or to the beach,anywhere fro 150-200 miles. I never gave it a thought because back then,there were no radials over 12/33 BFGs. Actual,my 4wd experience goes back to before those. I started out with trucks running 14.50/37 Armstrong True Tracs and I drove as far as from Maryland to Arizona and back. Once something gets improved it's harder to go back. And you end up with people who never knew the old way and can't fathom how it could be done. The truck I drove to Arizona was a '69 Dodge W200 with manual drum brakes & steering and I enjoyed every mile of that trip. The Blazer had the Super Swampers,but all these trucks had bias plies:

That is quite a fine collection of trucks you have their sir! Loving that old dodge, the 73-79 dodges was my first love, in fact I own a 77 W200 that is big and LOUD and I love it



Anyways, I posted this thread to see if any one was having problems with lugs flying off while on longer road trips using the TSL Bias tires, but that doesn't seem to be a problem, seems like the guys running the load range C tires on there huge trucks are the ones with the complaints. I am just going to go with it and get me some classic TSL Bias and not worry about it.

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

I had the bias ss's and it was scary. Seems the steel wheels flexed a bit with the bigger tires. Went to radial ss's and aluminum rims and OMG what a difference. You will not be sorry. Drove like a Camaro at over 80mph 3200 miles from CALI to FLORIDA. 36" btw. Loud but I was very confident I could do it and about 60,000 more miles on those tires too. Finally sold them after the fateful accident. Bye Bye 72 1ton Blazer :-(

So you got 60,000 miles on the TSL Radials?

[Mr. 250r]

I did a little over 6 hours total on 36in military bias after the flat spots come out its not too terrible but im used to it now i drive 38.5s tsls all over
Posted via Mobile Device

[JPalmer81]

Originally Posted by Mr. 250r

I did a little over 6 hours total on 36in military bias after the flat spots come out its not too terrible but im used to it now i drive 38.5s tsls all over
Posted via Mobile Device

Ya, I have been in a convoy in driving a HMMWV with bias ply for about 14 hours, albeit only going 45 mph's, thought we were never going to get there! But those military tires aren't bad and there are lots of them for pretty cheap! I have got more than one HMMWV stuck in some major Alaskan mud, loved every minute of it though!

[Mr. 250r]

I was doing 75-80 lol with no ac on a 100 degree day the wing windows only do so much and the tires do pretty good in the mud but now im going with two sets one set of radial for street and my current tsl's for mud
Posted via Mobile Device

[special-K]

Thanks for the compliment. These are trucks I used to have. I've pretty much been running radials since they started making radials bigger. You do get more miles out of them. I do want a set of Ground Hawgs for my 9.75 x 16.5 slots,though. How retro is that? The set I have now for the same truck ('72 K2500),once I put the lift and change axles on,are 12.50/37-16.5 Super Swamper SSRs on 8.25 steelies. Oh,and I like your '77. I kinda have my eye on a '73 W200 at the moment. It's been since '82 that I've had nothing but GM trucks,so it feels kinda strange. What would the neighbors think?

You have to keep them balanced. Once they get run out of balance for too long,forget it. Bias tires are pre-maintenance-free era.
Here's some other trucks I've had with big or fairly big bias rubber: